Today, Israel and Iran rank among the fiercest rivals in the Middle East. Their mutual hostility is marked by sharp rhetoric, proxy conflicts, and a tense security situation with global implications. However, this deep-rooted confrontation has not always existed. In the early stages of their relations, the two states maintained a pragmatic partnership based on shared strategic interests. It was only with the Islamic Revolution in 1979 that a dramatic rupture occurred—ushering in a prolonged phase of confrontation that has increasingly assumed global dimensions.
I. The Beginnings: A Discreet Alliance Between Peripheral States (1948–1979)
Following Israel’s founding in 1948 and the consolidation of the Shah’s regime in Tehran, a covert but close relationship developed between two countries that saw themselves as geopolitically isolated. Israel faced widespread boycott and opposition from the Arab world, while Iran under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi positioned itself as a secular regional power outside the Arab sphere. Both nations felt threatened by the rise of Pan-Arab nationalism—especially under the leadership of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
A central element of this partnership was the “Periphery Doctrine,” promoted by Israel’s first ruling party Mapai and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. The strategy aimed to forge alliances with non-Arab states on the periphery of the Arab world—including Turkey, Ethiopia, and Iran. This approach led to the so-called “Periphery Alliance,” under which Israel maintained economic, military, and intelligence ties with these countries.
For decades, Iran supplied a substantial portion of Israel’s crude oil—usually through covert trade channels. In return, Israel offered technological expertise, particularly in agriculture, water management, and military affairs. There was also intensive cooperation between Israel’s Mossad and Iran’s SAVAK intelligence services. Both agencies worked closely together, monitoring opposition groups and sharing intelligence on Arab threats.
This cooperation was deliberately kept informal. Iran never officially recognized Israel, yet behind the scenes, the relationship was of strategic significance. Israel maintained a permanent diplomatic mission in Tehran with quasi-embassy status.
II. The Great Rupture: The Islamic Revolution (1979)
The Islamic Revolution brought a fundamental shift to the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. The Shah was overthrown, and the new regime under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini established a theocratic government explicitly opposed to both the West and Israel. The Jewish state was henceforth referred to as the “Zionist entity” and the “Little Satan”—a slur that placed it ideologically alongside the U.S., the “Great Satan.”
The Islamic Republic cast itself as the defender of the oppressed (mustazafin) and a champion of the Palestinian cause. Within this narrative, Israel was portrayed not only as a colonial oppressor of Palestinians but as an illegitimate state that had to be eliminated. In the years immediately following the revolution, Tehran began supporting various Palestinian groups, including the radical Islamist Hamas, which openly calls for Israel’s destruction.
However, the break was not without contradictions. At the height of the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), Israel secretly supplied weapons to Iran—most notably during the Iran-Contra affair. This paradoxical episode underscores how even ideological foes can make pragmatic decisions in extreme situations—particularly when facing a common enemy, in this case Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.
III. Escalation and Proxy Conflicts (1990s–2020s)
Since the 1990s, the enmity between Israel and Iran has become a constant source of geopolitical tension. Iran gradually expanded its alliances with actors close to Israel’s borders. Most notably, it developed a tight partnership with Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has wielded considerable influence in the country since Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. Hezbollah receives financial, military, and logistical support from Tehran and is a key member of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” which also includes the Syrian regime and Shia militias in Iraq.
A pivotal turning point came with Iran’s nuclear program. Israel sees the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat. Since the early 2000s, Israel has pursued a strategy of active prevention—ranging from cyberattacks like the infamous Stuxnet virus, which sabotaged parts of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, to targeted killings of Iranian scientists, often attributed to the Mossad.
At the same time, Israel has bolstered its military presence in the region, conducting regular airstrikes on Iranian positions in Syria. Tehran, for its part, has used the Syrian civil war to deploy its own forces and allied militias near the Israeli border. Iran’s support for the Houthis in Yemen—who have increasingly launched drone attacks targeting Israel—is also part of this broader strategy.
IV. The Current Situation: Hostility Without Open War?
Despite the immense tensions and repeated escalations, Israel and Iran have so far avoided a full-scale war. Instead, both sides are engaged in an extended “shadow war” that spans multiple countries and increasingly affects civilian infrastructure and diplomatic arenas.
The escalation surrounding the war in Gaza (2023/2024) brought the confrontation to a new level: for the first time, Iranian military units launched direct attacks on Israeli territory, including a drone and missile strike in April 2024. Israel responded with a targeted airstrike on Iranian soil—breaking a long-standing taboo in the existing logic of escalation.
